FLYING THE NEST: MONTH 5
During month 5 we tried to see as much of British Columbia as we could before heading back to the states to explore more of North America.This was our last month experiencing living abroad in Vancouver and we were really sad to say goodbye - we have fallen in love with Canada and already making plans to return.
Where We Went
13 days in Vancouver / British Columbia, Canada
8 days in the Canadian Rockies / British Columbia & Alberta, Canada
2 days in Tofino / British Columbia, Canada
1 day in Calgary / Alberta, Canada
3 days in Whistler/ British Columbia, Canada
3 days in New York City / New York, United States
Highlights
Canadian Rockies Adventure! We went on an incredible 4 day bus tour through the Canadian Rockies.
Most beautiful lakes in the world. It's official... Canada has the most beautiful lakes in the world. We knew they were going to be nice, but you seriously don't know how truly beautiful they are until you see them with your own two eyes. Our favourites have to Moraine Lake, Peyto Lake & Lake Louise.
Exploring Glaciers. During our time exploring the Canadian Rockies we had the opportunity to stand on top of the Athabasca Glacier in Jasper National Park.
Wild bears! We had our first wild bear encounter during our travels through the Canadian Rockies.
Searching for whales. We also had our first wild whale experience while in Tofino! Whales are Jess's favourite animal and it was amazing being able to see them without the glass wall barrier.
Surfing in Canada? Yes, they surf in Canada - even when the waters are FREEZING! Whilst in Tofino we slipped on some very thick wet suits and practiced our surfing skills in the icy waters.
Jess's brother is here! WOOOOOO! After almost 5 months away from all our family and friends, Jess's brother has come to travel with us over the next few weeks.
Driving on the wrong side of the road. In Australia we drive on the left side of the road, however in Canada they drive on right (or the wrong side as we like to see it). Stephen was a little nervous attempting to drive on the Canadian roads, but after 5 minutes he was a pro!
Road trippin'. We hired a car and returned to the Canadian Rockies for a little summer road trip. This was our first time ever hiring a rental car, which was both exciting and a little nerve-racking.
Goodbye Vancouver. After 3 months of living abroad in Vancouver, we said goodbye to the city we now call our second home and returned to the airport for our next adventure.
Welcome to New York. Our first stop on our return to the US.
We're on Snapchat! Add us on flyingthenest & send us some snaps!!
Meeting fellow travellers. The best part about sharing our travels online here on the blog and on our YouTube channel is how it connects us with people from all over the world. This month we were recognised (in a pizza place of course) by a lovely girl named Morgan who also makes videos. We also met up for coffee with a fellow traveller and YouTuber, Nadine (HeyNadine on YouTube), who inspires us and we think will inspire you too!
Lowlights
worst.hotel.ever. During our road trip we stayed for a few nights in Whistler. Little did we know we booked a really crappy hotel. Check out our vlog here as we filmed all the troubles we had.
Unorganised. We left all the road trip organising to Jess and we worked out Jess isn't the best road trip organiser. We did a lot of extra driving we did not need to do, ended up only have a night in Calgary and booked the wrong dates when it came to our hotel rooms. BUT we still had such an incredible time - so luckily it didn't ruin our Canadian Rockies road trip too much!
Broken lens. Stephen accidentally dropped our favourite lens for our Canon camera. We definitely don't have the money at the moment to get it fixed so for the moment will have to work with the other lens we have.
The Funds
We spent $3,200 in Month 5 between the two of us. This was more than last month, but we had expected this as we travelled around BC for most of the month and ended it with a flight to New York City.
Something we are not going to miss about Vancouver is the cost of public transport. This month we spent $224 on those evil train tickets.
We decided to spend a few nights closer to Vancouver city now that Jess's brother is travelling with us, costing us $228 for 4 nights.
Our 10 day road trip through the Canadian Rockies cost us $1227. We spent $50 on accommodation per person per night, our car, including rental fees, insurance and fuel came to $678 (this could of been dramatically cheaper if Stephen was over the age of 25) and the national park entrances added up to $49.
This month our food budget has almost doubled at $580, but we felt it needed to happen as we were desperate for more fruit and veg in our diet. This month we accidentally spent $150 on our guilt pleasure... coffee.
Lastly, our flights to New York cost us $400 each.
Work
Month 5 was a busy one work-wise. We had the opportunity to team up with a number of our favourite companies and visited some incredible places in Canada. Stephen is still working hard with his freelance work, helping us ensure we see the next month through. Also, adsense is still trickling in, helping to pay for the site fees.
Quick Numbers So Far…
Flights taken: 7
Kilometres travelled: 29, 000
Photographs taken: 8730
Days uploaded to YouTube: 149
Coffee’s Had: 143
Where To Next:
After New York we will be travelling to Washington D.C, Los Angeles and Utah for another road trip through Arizona and Vegas.
Thank you so much for coming along on our journey of leaving home and travelling the world!
